diff --git a/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/typing b/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/typing
index 47a48b5102ea..27ac062d34e8 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/typing
+++ b/pkg/sql/logictest/testdata/logic_test/typing
@@ -221,3 +221,14 @@ query I
 SELECT NULLIF(0, NULL) + NULLIF(0, NULL)
 ----
 0
+
+# Regression test for #46196.
+query T
+SELECT max(t0.c0) FROM (VALUES (NULL), (NULL)) t0(c0)
+----
+NULL
+
+query T
+SELECT max(NULL) FROM (VALUES (NULL), (NULL)) t0(c0)
+----
+NULL
diff --git a/pkg/sql/opt/optbuilder/testdata/aggregate b/pkg/sql/opt/optbuilder/testdata/aggregate
index a683a3e073a9..a40b3cb3960d 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/opt/optbuilder/testdata/aggregate
+++ b/pkg/sql/opt/optbuilder/testdata/aggregate
@@ -2706,12 +2706,9 @@ scalar-group-by
 build
 SELECT corr(k, NULL) FROM kv
 ----
-project
- ├── columns: corr:5
- ├── scan kv
- │    └── columns: k:1!null v:2 w:3 s:4
- └── projections
-      └── NULL [as=corr:5]
+error (42725): ambiguous call: corr(int, unknown), candidates are:
+corr(int, int) -> float
+corr(int, float) -> float
 
 build
 SELECT corr('foo', v) FROM kv
@@ -3839,3 +3836,22 @@ project
                      │              └── b:3
                      └── projections
                           └── (max:4, unnest:1) [as="?column?":6]
+
+# Regression test for #46196. Don't eliminate the scalar group by, and
+# default to type string.
+build format=show-types
+SELECT max(t0.c0) FROM (VALUES (NULL), (NULL)) t0(c0);
+----
+scalar-group-by
+ ├── columns: max:3(string)
+ ├── project
+ │    ├── columns: column2:2(string)
+ │    ├── values
+ │    │    ├── columns: column1:1(unknown)
+ │    │    ├── (NULL,) [type=tuple{unknown}]
+ │    │    └── (NULL,) [type=tuple{unknown}]
+ │    └── projections
+ │         └── column1:1::STRING [as=column2:2, type=string]
+ └── aggregations
+      └── max [as=max:3, type=string]
+           └── column2:2 [type=string]
diff --git a/pkg/sql/sem/tree/type_check.go b/pkg/sql/sem/tree/type_check.go
index 792eabeb8c4b..8d9fdff17bd9 100644
--- a/pkg/sql/sem/tree/type_check.go
+++ b/pkg/sql/sem/tree/type_check.go
@@ -847,10 +847,46 @@ func (expr *FuncExpr) TypeCheck(ctx *SemaContext, desired *types.T) (TypedExpr,
 			"%s()", def.Name)
 	}
 
+	// If the function is an aggregate that does not accept null arguments and we
+	// have arguments of unknown type, see if we can assign type string instead.
+	// TODO(rytaft): If there are no overloads with string inputs, Postgres
+	// chooses the overload with preferred type for the given category. For
+	// example, float8 is the preferred type for the numeric category in Postgres.
+	// To match Postgres' behavior, we should add that logic here too.
+	if !def.NullableArgs && def.FunctionProperties.Class == AggregateClass {
+		for i := range typedSubExprs {
+			if typedSubExprs[i].ResolvedType().Family() == types.UnknownFamily {
+				var filtered []overloadImpl
+				for j := range fns {
+					if fns[j].params().GetAt(i).Equivalent(types.String) {
+						if filtered == nil {
+							filtered = make([]overloadImpl, 0, len(fns)-j)
+						}
+						filtered = append(filtered, fns[j])
+					}
+				}
+
+				// Only use the filtered list if it's not empty.
+				if filtered != nil {
+					fns = filtered
+
+					// Cast the expression to a string so the execution engine will find
+					// the correct overload.
+					e, err := NewTypedCastExpr(typedSubExprs[i], types.String)
+					if err != nil {
+						return nil, err
+					}
+					typedSubExprs[i] = e
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Return NULL if at least one overload is possible, no overload accepts
-	// NULL arguments, the function isn't a generator builtin, and NULL is given
-	// as an argument.
-	if !def.NullableArgs && def.FunctionProperties.Class != GeneratorClass {
+	// NULL arguments, the function isn't a generator or aggregate builtin, and
+	// NULL is given as an argument.
+	if !def.NullableArgs && def.FunctionProperties.Class != GeneratorClass &&
+		def.FunctionProperties.Class != AggregateClass {
 		for _, expr := range typedSubExprs {
 			if expr.ResolvedType().Family() == types.UnknownFamily {
 				return DNull, nil